strokinit Chapter 79 The Great Demon Takes Human Form
Chapter 79 The Great Demon Takes Human Form
Chapter 79 The Great Demon Takes Human Form
This attitude indicates that they consider Zhang Yuan one of their own.
Zhang Yuan felt a warmth in his heart, knowing that this was due to Zheng Chaoyang's consideration, as well as the friendship built up over the days of fighting demons side by side on the river.
He nodded and took the bowl: "Thank you, Chief Zeng."
Zeng Bo waved his hand and said there was no need to be polite, then turned and went to the prison van.
Zhang Yuan picked up the bowl of meat, but did not eat it immediately. He divided a few pieces and placed them on the oil paper spread out on Zhang Jiumei's lap, then turned and walked towards the place where the Guzhu Gang caravan was resting not far away.
Wang Ziteng and several of his gang members were sitting on the ground, enjoying a hearty meal. Large chunks of braised beef were spread out in front of them, wrapped in lotus leaves.
Seeing Zhang Yuan bring over the meat, Wang Ziteng's eyes lit up. He wiped his mouth, stood up, pointed at the beef, and said with a smile, "Qingyang! You've come at the right time! Master He was just saying he wanted me to bring you some beef!"
As he spoke, he gestured towards He Dashan, who was leisurely drinking water under a tree nearby.
"Master He!" Zhang Yuan greeted him with a smile.
Hearing this, He Dashan looked up at Zhang Yuan, a rare, faint smile appearing on his face. He nodded, his voice still low: "Sit down and eat. All you can eat."
His tone carried the boldness of a江湖人 (jianghu person, someone from the martial arts world).
Zhang Yuan didn't stand on ceremony and sat down next to Wang Ziteng. He picked up a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth. The taste was indeed salty and savory.
A few members of the Guzhu Gang, who were eating dry rations nearby, watched this scene and whispered among themselves: "See that? That's Young Master Zhang Qingyang—tsk tsk, who would have thought he'd be so small?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Don't be fooled by his current appearance, sitting with us eating meat. That day at the docks—tsk, Qin Hu of the Black Tiger Gang, he was the one who chopped off his head!"
"Hiss, that's him! Back then, our Green Bamboo Gang—sigh, we were really unlucky—we kidnapped this little rascal, and ended up attracting—"
"That's right! That's why we say Wang Ziteng has good judgment. He and Young Master Qingyang have a life-or-death friendship! That's why we have the opportunity to occupy the dock and do legitimate business! From now on, we won't have to live that life of licking blood off the knife anymore." "For this reason, the gang leader has already been training Wang Ziteng to be the young gang leader."
The crowd's words were filled with sighs, lingering fear, satisfaction with the current situation, and recognition of Zhang Yuan's "loyalty."
Zhang Yuan ate his meat quietly, while Wang Ziteng whispered to him about his experiences on the caravan route.
Zhang Yuan had excellent hearing, and the discussions naturally reached his ears. He simply glanced calmly at the gang members without making any comment.
Just then, he noticed that several Blackscale Knights were also resting and eating not far away.
The stern-faced captain sat upright on a blue stone, closing his eyes to rest.
Several men, also dressed in black martial robes, gathered together. Two of them seemed to glance at Zhang Yuan and whispered a few words to each other.
Although he couldn't hear the specific content, Zhang Yuan keenly caught a few vague words.
"The Mountain-Suppressing Tiger—"
"What a pity—"
His tone carried a hint of nostalgia for the people of the past.
Zhang Yuan's heart stirred slightly. "Zhenshan Tiger" was Zhang Zhenshan's name in the Northern Frontier Army.
It seems that Zhang Zhenshan's reputation in the army back then was known even to some in the Black Scale Army of Fucheng.
As the rest period drew to a close, Zhang Yuan saw a guard carrying a specially made food box with a small lattice window walk towards the huge prison cart under the close watch of two Black Scale Army soldiers.
A Blackscale soldier stepped forward and carefully lifted a corner of the black cloth at the bottom of the prison cart, revealing a small opening for passing items.
Wu Wei handed the food box inside.
In that brief moment, Zhang Yuan, with his exceptional eyesight, saw through the small opening and the gaps in the prison cart's bars that the inside of the prison cart was not the enormous beast he had expected!
There was a "person" sitting upright inside!
Or rather, it is a "monster" with a humanoid torso, but covered in dark blue, wet, decaying scales, with a head that is neither human nor human, a protruding jaw like a fish, and a huge, hideous wound remaining on its neck!
It took the food box with one hand, its movements stiff and ferocious, unlike anything in human form. Its eyes, devoid of eyelids and with cold, vertical pupils, gleamed eerily in the dim prison van as it indifferently glanced outside.
Zhang Yuan's heart trembled violently!
Transform!
Although it is only in a half-human, half-demon form and far from perfect, it can manifest human form, which means it is no ordinary demon!
This means that this demon's realm has at least touched the peak of the Grandmaster level, and may even have glimpsed the threshold of transcendence!
No wonder the prefectural city attached such importance to it, sending out the elite Black Scale Army to provide support!
The value and danger of this evil spirit far exceeded his previous imagination.
He subconsciously glanced at the Black Scale Army captain who was resting with his eyes closed. The other man seemed oblivious, but Zhang Yuan could sense that beneath the captain's seemingly relaxed posture, every nerve was taut like a bowstring, his aura firmly locked onto the prison cart.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment as the gaze of the person inside the prison van swept over it.
It was evening.
The convoy arrived at Baishanyi, the rest stop scheduled for the trip.
The post station was not large, and the postmaster was sweating profusely as he faced this mixed team consisting of a grim escort of serious criminals and a promising candidate from Fengming County.
While directing the couriers to set up the huge prison cart, he carefully arranged accommodations.
The escort team had official documents from the county government, so the postmaster dared not neglect them and vacated the entire west wing of the post station, which had its own courtyard.
The heavy prison van drove into the center of the courtyard. The enormous object, covered by a black cloth, exuded a faint but strong stench and a sense of oppression, making the atmosphere in the entire courtyard more somber.
The inn has a limited number of rooms.
With a forced smile, the postmaster arranged for Chen Zijing, Fang Jingsong, Zhang Yuan, and other core elites who had been selected by the county magistrate to participate in the Qingyun List selection to stay in a few relatively clean rooms next to the west wing.
As for the other family members who came along to broaden their horizons, as well as the considerable number of members of the Guzhu Gang caravan, they could only make do in the open space outside the post station or on the carriages.
The room where Zhang Yuan was located was somewhat simple, but it was still quite clean.
Zhang Jiumei silently and efficiently made the bed, then hugged Zhang Yuan's ancestral long sword and quietly leaned against the earthen bed next to her, lying down fully clothed, her cold eyes remaining vigilant in the dim light.
Zhang Yuan did not rest.
He sat at the table and, by the dim light of the oil lamp, opened the book of poems that Chen Wenyuan had given him.
His fingers brushed across the yellowed pages, where the poetic imagery—some powerful, some delicate, some desolate—accompanied by the faint scent of ink, attempted to stir the nascent literary spirit within him.
He was completely absorbed in it, carefully comprehending the profound mystery of guiding qi to form in Confucian and Taoist cultivation.
At the second watch of the night, the absolute silence was suddenly broken!
Outside the inn, in the direction where the Guzhu Gang caravan was stationed, a shrill shout suddenly came!
Immediately following was a sudden burst of ear-piercing metallic clang, suppressed roars, and screams, like a boulder being thrown into a calm lake!
"Enemy attack—!"
"Grab your weapons!"
The inn was instantly alerted, and the warning gong rang urgently!